Patberg Inc – Our Search Process

First Phase: Diagnostics

We prefer to visit our clients face-to-face. We feel that seeing the interviewing process through the eyes of the candidate is a great way to get to know our clients.

During our initial meetings, we will conduct interviews with anyone involved in the hiring process, as well as peers and subordinates to the position for which the search is conducted. We are seeking a consensus from all the parties involved. If anything seems inconsistent, we will determine why and gain consensus before we begin the search process.

Besides determining the basics of position profile — skills, knowledge and experience –, we will delve into the behaviors required for success in this position. We know that how someone thinks, relates and is motivated are of significant importance. In fact, we will go out on a limb and say that these behaviors are the most important things to understand and then to find in prospective hires.

After our research meetings with those in the hiring process, we will develop a Position Profile Summary, which outlines the company, position and candidate profile. This document becomes the benchmark for the recruiting process. All candidates will be measured against this information, so it is important that we all start the hiring process from the same place.

Second Phase: Search

Our search process depends on obtaining accurate information in the Diagnostic Phase. We will then start our search with the bull’s eye approach. The bull’s eye approach assumes that there is a perfect candidate within driving distance of the office location.

Finding this person requires good old fashioned detective work with a certain amount of tenacity. We believe that the best candidates are passive candidates; these candidates are not actively looking for work. Passive candidates are usually hard at work at their current role and don’t have the time or inclination to look for new jobs. So, we do not rely on advertising to find out candidates, nor do we think that the right candidate will be in our database. We feel it is the hard work of searching for candidates and effectively presenting our client a great place to work which produce what our clients are seeking: great candidates who are willing to be interviewed.

Third Phase: Interview

We use a proprietary interviewing process which was developed in 1990. Our proprietary interviewing process provides an in-depth look at what makes candidates tick. We know that each and every candidate is unique, and it is our job to decipher the candidates for our clients.

We prefer to meet the finalist candidates in person, provided that the budgets of our clients will sustain this activity. We know that meeting the candidates in person helps to ensure a quality search process. After we feel satisfied that we have an appropriate candidate, or candidates, we will then begin to introduce them to the client.

Our goal in this process is not to give you a plethora of candidates from which to choose; our goal is to present only a candidate whom we feel will get hired. If our clients only need to interview one candidate in order to make a hire, then we feel as though we have excelled at our job. Clients should not be forced to see the proverbial three candidates in order to make a decision. The army snipers have a motto: one shot, one kill. Our motto: one interview, one hire.

Final Phase: Offer, Negotiating & Follow-up

The final phase is to help our clients secure the illusive candidate. We know that great candidates are usually not looking for another position, so the process of offering the candidate a job and the negotiating of the offer is crucial to landing the big fish.

We understand that the client has restrictions on what they can offer and that the candidate has certain needs that have to met. Our job is to find alignment for mutual satisfaction. We learned two thing long ago: money is usually the 2nd or 3rd reason for accepting a new job and negotiating starts with the very first meeting that we have with a candidate.

We want the process of the job offer to go very smoothly, and we find that the best way to accomplish this is by negotiating early in the process and not wait until the end.

Even though we make every attempt to smooth out the bumps in the road early on, there can still be some last minute negotiating that is necessary. We are skilled at making this part of the process go smoothly.